Pressure of Truth
Exposing the spin on all sides of the news.
Outlet profile

Al Arabiya

Saudi state-aligned

Owned byMBC Group (Middle East Broadcasting Center); Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) holds a 54% controlling stake in MBC Group as of September 2025, with the remaining shares held primarily by Waleed bin Ibrahim al Ibrahim
FundingState-backed through PIF's majority ownership of MBC Group; supplemented by advertising revenue from pan-Arab satellite broadcasting
On the administrationbroadly supportive

Background

Al Arabiya launched on March 3, 2003, in Dubai Media City, United Arab Emirates, funded by MBC Group and Gulf investors with an initial investment of roughly $300 million. It was created explicitly as a rival to Qatar's Al Jazeera, which Saudi officials viewed as hostile to the royal family, and positioned itself from the start as a moderate, pro-Western alternative in Arab satellite news. Early backers were connected to the Saudi royal family through Waleed bin Ibrahim al Ibrahim, a media mogul who married into the House of Saud, giving the channel an unofficial but well-understood link to Riyadh from its founding. The channel expanded quickly to more than 40 bureaus worldwide, including offices in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Over the years, media analysts and critics consistently found that Al Arabiya's coverage favored Saudi state interests — most notably in its treatment of the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, where the channel omitted or softened details unfavorable to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In October 2024, Algeria suspended Al Arabiya's local broadcasting license, citing biased reporting on regional conflicts. In September 2025, PIF completed a $1.99 billion acquisition of a 54% stake in MBC Group, making the Saudi government the channel's majority owner and cementing Al Arabiya's status as a state-influenced media outlet.

Sources

  1. Al Arabiya – Wikipedia
  2. Al Arabiya – Bias and Credibility (Media Bias/Fact Check)
  3. PIF completes acquisition of 54% of MBC Group – PIF press release
  4. Saudi Arabia's PIF buys $2B majority stake in entertainment giant MBC (Al-Monitor)
  5. What's behind Algeria's suspension of Saudi-owned Al Arabiya? (Al-Monitor)
  6. Al Arabiya | Britannica
  7. Saudi Arabia's State Investment Fund PIF Takes 54% in MBC Group (Deadline)

Profile compiled 2026-07-09; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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